I'll Protect You, Always
by Kirschstein
Summary: A Jearmin fluff (and slight angst?) drabble written around the latest manga chapter. Spoilers, obviously.


Note: So this is based around chapter 59. Don't read if you don't want spoilers.

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><p>Armin stared at his palms, the ends of his cloak, both stained with specks of dried blood. Brief rehashes of that nameless woman tumbling off the wagon invaded his mind and caused him to tremble. He could feel the tears prickling his eyes again. <em>Ah, damn it..<em> The blonde hugged his cloak tighter around himself and curled inward, eyes only shifting up when he felt a presence beside him.

"J-Jean.. " Armin choked out, noting the sharp details of his comrade's face in the dimmed light. No other words were said. What _could_ Armin say? Ask him if he was alright? Somehow, the intensity in Jean's eyes said more than either of them could vocalize.

_I'm sorry,_ but also,_I'm grateful. _

Jean was fiddling with the hem of his own cloak. Armin noticed the action and denoted it to him wanting to say something but he couldn't. So he surprised himself by reaching out and clapping a hand onto his shoulder, not even caring that his face was flushed and his eyes were brimmed with fresh tears.

"I'm.. glad you're safe." He managed, suddenly feeling a lot smaller than he had initially.

Jean gulped. "Y-Yeah, ditto, Armin.." His reply was barely audible, but Armin heard it. He was blinking a lot now, and for a moment Armin wondered why but then realized it was to keep his own tears at bay. And despite the solemn situation, the blonde found himself smiling dumbly. His hand moved on its own accord and slid up the back of Jean's neck, tracing his undercut with nimble fingers.

Jean stared at him as he did it, cheeks pink. He didn't mind – or at least didn't seem to, so Armin's fingers continued an ascending trail to the brunet locks at the top of his head. He noticed a change in those hazel eyes, and suddenly the room felt a whole lot warmer when Jean inclined forward and took the blonde into his arms.

At first the embrace was hesitant, but then Armin felt a weight on his shoulder followed by slight dampness on the fabric of his cloak. _Jean's crying_. He sunk his teeth into his lip and gently coiled an arm around his neck, resting his cheek against the top of his head as he felt his own tears resurface.

"Armin.."

"Y-Yeah?"

"If.. If I wasn't such a coward..-"

"No!"

Armin's shout resounded throughout the room and Jean noticeably tensed, lifting his head from his shoulder so he could stare directly at him. His lower lip quivered. _God.. don't.._ Now was _not _the time to consider how cute he looked, but Armin did it anyway. Trembling hands reached out to cup the brunet's face as he heaved a sigh.

"Your actions back then.. that was not cowardice." He swallowed thickly before continuing, thumb lightly ghosting over the skin beneath Jean's eye. "If anything, I'm the coward. I acted on a whim and killed someone without even -...I.." His sobs prevented him from saying anything more.

Jean emitted a sigh of his own. In turn of speaking he opted to reach up, closing his hand over Armin's. The blonde shifted his palm so his fingers could fit between Jean's, a darker blush spreading over his cheeks that he hoped he would think was due to his crying.

"Thank you, Armin." Jean exhaled, his own face beet-red.

And then all the air was sucked out of the room. Armin's eyes grew wide when he felt a pair of lips press against his own, the arm that circled his back holding him steady. _Jean's.. kissing me.. oh my.._ He was surprised, yes, but he couldn't push him away. He _wouldn't_. Instead, he squeezed onto his hand and let his eyelids close, the arm around Jean's neck pulling him down closer.

The kiss was slow - almost tentative, and Armin could feel the heat radiating between them. And then everything hit him in an influx: all the anxiety, the regret, and the fear - but there was an emotion that overbore everything else. The love that swelled up in his heart. The realization crashed into him so violently Armin was forced to break the kiss and draw air into his lungs. Jean noticed this and raised his brows, staring at the blonde whilst rubbing the tears away on his blushed cheeks.

"I. shouldn't have done th—"

"Stop.." Armin looked up at Jean with enlarged orbs, using the grip on his neck as leverage to pull himself up and bury his face in his collarbone. He smelled of sweat and the metallic residue of blood, but Armin hardly minded. He just wanted him close. Jean embraced him again and they sat together in silence for a few moments before the brunet spoke up once more.

"..Thank you.."

Sighing, Armin turned to nuzzle his cheek against him. They both knew what he'd done was hardly worth thanking him. But even if it had been, that wasn't what he wanted. "..Don't thank me, Jean." _You don't need to. I'll protect you, always._

And that was a promise Armin had every intention of keeping.


End file.
